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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. field — a subject
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cold — an illness
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. field — farmland
  13. cold — not warm
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. field — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com